Game apparatus



May 161, 1933. F. E. PERKINS ET AL GAME APPARATUS INVENTOES. E'EP N5.

Filed Feb. 3, 1932 Patented May 16, 1933 warren sra'rss FREDERICK EDWARD PERKINS AND WILFRED STEVEN GAME APPARATUS Application filed. February 3, 1932, Serial No. 590,752, and. in Great Britain February 20, 1931.

This invention relates to improved apparatus for playing a race game.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide an apparatus in the form of a track 5 having an uphill gradient, a series of pieces representing the objects or animals to be raced, together with means for moving the objects up the track towards a finishing point, over interposed obstacles.

10 Another object of theinvention is to provide an apparatus 111 which each piece is mounted on a carriage on a suitable support and is pivoted to the support so that it can rock freely when the carriage is in motion.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus in which an endless moving belt is arranged beneath the track and is provided with means for moving the pieces continuously towards the finishing point, means controlled by the pieces meeting obstacles onthe track being provided for releasing the pieces momentarily from the belt. Another object of the invention to provide an apparatus wherein the pieces are moved 5 uphill towards a finishing point by continuously moving means not controlled by any person, the movement of the pieces being controlled automatically in a haphazard manner by obstacles arranged across the track. 0 To enable the invention to be fully understood it will now be described by reference to the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a part sectional elevation of an apparatus constructed, according to one form of the invention, and V Fig. 2 is a partial plan view thereof with portions of the: top removed to shew the mechanism for driving the pieces. a

As shewn, the apparatus comprises a case 0 3 supporting in its lower portion a pair of endless chains or belts 4. The chains pass over sprocket wheels as clearly shown and the sha t 6 is driven by a chain 7 engaging a sprocket wheel 8 on said shaft and a sprocket wheel 9 on a shaft 10 which is'driven by a motor (not shewn) contained in a housing indicated at 11. The shaft 6 may, however, be driven by hand or from any suitable source of power as will be well understood. The chains 4 are connectcarried on shafts 5, 6,

BAKER, or LONDON, ENGLAND ed by a seriesof cross bar members 12 rigidly.

attached at desired intervals.

Above the chains a sloping track or series of tracks 13 is or are arranged with slots 14 between giving access to the moving chains beneath.

Corresponding tracks 15 are arranged above the tracks 13 with slots 16 between and obstacles such as hurdles 17 are arranged across the tracks 15 at any desired intervals apart. a

Each piece to be raced comprises a figure 18, herein shewn as a jockey on a horse, pivoted to an upright 19 at 20, the upright 20 being rigidly attached to a carriage 21, the upright passing up through the slot 16 so that the figure 18 is above the track 15 The carriage 21 is fitted with wheels or rollers 22 which ride on the track 13 and depending from the carriage is an abutment 23 which projects through the slot 14 into the path of the crossbars 12 on the driven chains. The abutment 23 is shaped as shewn, that is to say it has a finger 2'4 and an inclined or cam surface 25 so that normally a cross bar 12 will engage behind the finger 24 and move the piece in the direction of the arrow A, Fig. -1.

Each piece 18 is accurately balanced about its pivot 20 so that when at rest the piece is supported in an approximately horizontal position and in this position the height of the piece above the track is preferably such that the front legs lie below the tops of the obstacles 17 (Fig; 1). Also each piece is slightly offset from its upright .19 so that it is over its appropriate track. It will be understood that the mounting of each pieceis similar to that described above and that the I apparatus may comprise any number of pieces with acorresponding number of tracks.

In operation the pieces are lined up at the starting end B and the endless chains are set in continuous motion by hand or power.

The adjacent cross bar 12 on the chains.

meets the fingers 24 and drags the pieces with their carriages up the inclined tracks. Each piece 18 being freely pivoted swings about its pivot and as the obstacles are reached, if the front part of the piece happens to be swung high enough at the moment the piece f will be carried over the obstacle as at C, Fig. 1. If on the other hand the front part is not high enough to clear the obstacle as at D, Fig. 1, then the piece hits the obstacle causing the carriage to tilt and allowing the driving cross bar to be disengaged from the finger. The carriage then being free from the drive runs back down the gradient, but the finger is caught by the next cross bar and the piece is again presented to the obstacle.

This operation is repeated automatically with each piece at every obstacle as will be understood and the action continues until the desired pieces have passed all the obstacles, the drive of the endless chains being continuous. By changing the number and spacing of the bars 12 various modifications in the running of the pieces may be effected. The balance of the pieces may be adjusted as for example by making the tails 26 adjustable or removable. The apparatus may comprise any number of pieces with a corresponding number of tracks.

It will be understood that the pieces may represent any desired animals or objects such as horses, dogs, men, automobiles for example.

The double chain drive is not essential as obviously the apparatus could be arranged to be driven by a single chain, the cross bars or abutments being arranged on this belt and supported at their ends in suitable guides. Other forms of chain or belt drive may be devised.

We claim:

1. Game apparatus comprising in combination an uphill track, obstacles above and across the track, a carriage on the track, an upright on the carriage, a playing piece freely pivoted to the upright and arranged above the track, continuously operating driving means arranged beneath the track, cooperating means between the carriage and the driving means, whereby the latter is caused to move the carriage up the track towards the obstacles and means controlled by the playing piece touching an obstacle for releasing the carriage from the driving means.

2. Game apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the driving means comprises an endless moving belt, cross members on the belt, and a depending abutment on the carriage adapted to engage successive cross members on the belt.

3. Game apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the driving means comprises a pair of endless belts mounted on sprocket Wheels carried on shafts, means for driving the belts, cross bars connecting the belts together at desired intervals, 2. depending abutment on the carriage being adapted to engage the cross members on the belts.

4. Game apparatus comprising in combination a casing, an uphill track in the easing, a wheeled carriage on the track, a playing piece pivoted to the carriage and extending above the track, a second uphill track above the first track, obstacles arranged across the second track continuously moving driving means below the first track and a connection between the carriage and the driving means whereby the carriage is moved up the uphill track, the connection being broken if the playing piece touches an obstacle.

5. Game apparatus comprising in combination, a casing, a lower uphill track in the casing, a wheeled carriage on the track, an upper uphill track above the first track, an upright on the carriage, a playing piece freely pivoted to the upright and positioned above the upper track, obstacles across the upper track, two shafts mounted in the casing below the lower track and extending across the casing one at each end of the apparatus, enclless, belts mounted on the shafts, cross bars secured to the two belts and extending beneath the lower track, means for driving the belts, and a depending abutment on the carriage extending down into the path of the crossbars on the belts.

6. Game apparatus comprising in combination a series of uphill tracks, a series of obstacles above the tracks, a series of playing pieces swingably mounted each on a separate carriage, each carriage being adapted to run freely on one of the tracks, driving chains arranged adjacent to the tracks and cooperating means on the driving means and on each carriage whereby the carriages are moved up the tracks until the playing piece touches an obstacle when the cooperating means are automatically disconnected and the carriage runs down on the track.

7. Game apparatus comprising in combination a playing piece mounted on a wheeled carriage having a finger, an uphill track having obstacles to engage the playing piece, an endless chain provided with a series of abutments for engaging the finger on the carriage, means for driving the chain, and means for pivotally mounting the playing piece on the carriage so as to engage by chance an obstacle situated in its path and thus release the carriage from the chain.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification.

FREDERICK ED /VARD PERKINS.

VILFRED STEVEN BAKER. 

